


Behind the Coffee Bar

by bareunloveliness



Category: bare: A Pop Opera - Hartmere/Intrabartolo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, M/M, Multi, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-20 22:22:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16564247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bareunloveliness/pseuds/bareunloveliness
Summary: This is not your cutesy Coffee Shop AU.While it's fun to imagine Peter being a blushing barista at a local cafe, writing his phone number on a cup to his favorite regular, Jason, that's not how the cold world works for our heros. Tensions and caffeination levels are at their peak, and nobody is spared from the witty banter and heartless betrayals at the local Starbucks. Without death or pregnancy and very canon divergent, this series takes you though an alternate universe where the characters are in their early twenties, closets, and so much denial.





	1. Mocha Frappuccino with Extra Mocha Drizzle and Almond Milk

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea on a whim, and my sister used to work at Starbucks. It's very cut-throat and hearing stories about it made me laugh and then want to write. I hope you enjoy this, and if you ever have questions, comments, or concerns, I recommend leaving a comment or an ask in my inbox on Tumblr @bareunloveliness

"Don't make me say it," Jason groaned as he twisted the plastic lid onto the iced macchiato in his calloused hands and passed it to the customer, a forgettable face in a crowd. "It's a Happy Hour. We don't have time for this."

"Say it, or the whipped cream gets it."

"Fine. The leaf you drew in the foam is pretty. Now give that damn latte to the white lady before I call Chantelle."

"I love it when you talk mean to me."

_ One of these days _ , Jason swears to himself,  _ I am going to pour a pot of hot coffee on his stupid blonde head. _ Of course, he never would, but it's a tempting thought. He had trouble understanding the difference between "My co-worker has figured out that I'm gay and he's making fun of me" and "Dudes being dudes". When it was Matt, there was no confusion.

"Hurry up, you're behind by three drinks," the other possible new shift managed told Peter as he pushed by to heat up a chocolate chip cookie. Peter rolled his eyes with a smile, genuinely appreciating everyone he worked with. Every shift was an adventure, but there was the slightest bit of routine. After working at the local Starbucks for a few months, he understood that everyone had one drink that they always made for themselves and it was always overly complex. He also got in habit with talking to the regulars for longer than he should. Jason never stopped him from doing that though; only the latte art because the lids covered those anyway.

"Robinson's in the drive through, do you want to take this one?" Diane, with bags under her eyes, asked Matt as she lifted the headset off her small ears. She always looked out for her co-worker's favorite regulars; she was also the one that always organized their outings. They'd never all get drinks after Happy Hour if it wasn't for her.

"Yeah, sure, if you don't want to." Matt shrugged, trying to seem less excited than he was as he practically leapt over to Diane with a skip in his step. She passed him the headset and went to take out the cookie as Matt smiled into the mic. "Welcome to Starbucks, how can I help you?"

"Mobile order for Ivy," a woman's honeyed tone said, crackling through the speakers. "It's a frappuccino."

"It'll be at the window in just a second," Matt promised as he feverishly began to make it. The mobile order was placed a few minutes after the customers in line placed theirs, but he had no concept of order the moment he heard Ivy's voice. Peter found the whole ordeal pathetic, but couldn't help but notice Jason's scowl. That was new.

Ivy pulled up to the window in her green Jeep, an old used car that she bought on Craigslist. "You know," Matt said as he opened the window. "if you don't place a mobile order, I can always mark out your drink."

She batted her eyelashes, probably unaware of her actions. "I thought Chantelle told you to stop doing that."

"She also told Peter to stop making latte art; those are more of guidelines than actual rules." That was not the case at all, but that never stopped any of them from marking out drinks for people they liked. Even Jason was guilty, sometimes sneaking his sister a hot chocolate.

"Chantelle never told me that, she just said that it takes a while! She never said to stop!"

"But the rest of us did, you little shit," Jason called out, probably needing to watch his language when the shop was full. 

Peter shot him a flirtatious glare. "How did you know I was into name-calling?"

"Jesus Christ." Matt flushed, embarrassed that Ivy had to see all of that. He was absolutely oblivious to Ivy and Peter's unbreakable friendship and the way that they would constantly gossip about everything that happened behind the coffee bar. Friday nights were for drinking wine and spilling tea, and Saturday mornings were for drinking coffee and brewing tea. "Here's your frappuccino; with enough mocha drizzle to drown in."

She always ordered extra mocha drizzle, but Matt was the only one that actually committed to the word "extra". When he made it, it was a cup of dark chocolate with a few drops of coffee. Admittedly, it was the perfect consistency for her. She took a sip to test it, even though there were other cars in line. It was clear that nobody in a ten-mile radius had any fucks to give about wasting other people's time except Jason. "Perfect. Thanks, Matt."

"You're welcome!" he called out as she drove away, curving around the store.

Diane snatched the headset back off his head. "Hi, welcome to Star…"

"You're ridiculous," Peter shook his head as he placed an order for a "Tanya" on the counter. "She's not into you, I promise. You have got to move on."

"She was flirting with me just now!" Matt insisted incorrectly. "You'd have to be blind not to see that! I've got to be the only person in her life that sees her as a person."

Jason cocked an eyebrow. "If you think that, you probably don't see her as a person. Tell me, Matt, what does Ivy do in her spare time?"

"She drinks coffee."

"He's hopeless, just give up," Diane suggested, passing a cake pop out the window with a venti

iced Americano.

"What's her favorite band?"

"Probably the Beatles."

"What school does she go to?"

"I know this one! She has a bumper sticker for D. Ross University."

"You're full of shit, you know that?" Jason smirked, pressing a mobile order onto a plastic cup. For reference, Peter was working the front counter and taking the orders so that Jason and Matt could have this entire argument. Surprisingly, their jobs came before the drama. "You know nothing about her."

"And what makes you think that everything I said was wrong?"

Jason paused, holding his tongue in his mouth by his teeth with a satisfied grin. "She's an artist and keeps a spare sketchbook in her glove compartment in case inspiration strikes. She has a portfolio in the passenger's side every Monday morning when she drives to class, which takes place at Shea's Arcadian College, where she has a parking pass hanging from her rearview mirror. The D. Ross sticker is for her sister, Stacy, who comes into town for the holidays and orders a snickerdoodle hot chocolate on a mobile order for Ivy to pick up. And finally, she flicks the radio off of the Beatles every time a song comes on by them and when she plugs in her AUX cord, the last played song is usually The Aces. While you pay attention to her perfect eyes and think it's not shallow because at least you're not looking at her breasts, some of us actually give half a fuck about what's on the inside."

"It's my mom."

"What?" Jason spun around on his heel, unaware that Ivy Robinson was standing behind him at the counter, holding a barely-touched frappuccino. "Holy shit, you heard all of that?"

"Yeah, and it's pretty impressive and all true, except Stacy is my mom. She works at D. Ross as a receptionist for the admissions center and comes into town when she can on holidays," Ivy clarified. "I would almost think it was creepy that you figure all of that out if you weren't so cute."

"Was something wrong with your drink?" Diane interrupted, unsure why she came back into the store. What's Matt doing? Peter would guess having a heart attack, honestly. To be fair, Jason just read him for filth.

"I figured out right after I left that it's nonfat milk instead of almond," she said. "That's on me, though, I hit the wrong button. The app could use some work, you know?"

"It's the worst and the updates never help," Diane laughed. "Let me get you a new drink."

Once the frappuccino was fixed and Ivy left, the door jingling behind her, Diane sputtered at the whole situation. "That was hilarious, I needed that. You really didn't know she was behind you the whole time?"

"Do you think I would reveal every single thing about her if I knew she was behind me?" Jason asked, red dotting behind his ears, highlighting the freckles going down them. "That was insanely embarrassing, are you kidding?"

"I mean, you seemed to pay a lot of attention to her," Peter mumbled under his breath, disappointed, but not surprised.

Okay, so yes, maybe his 'no-homo-bro-just-guys-being-friends' comments  _ were _ actually flirting. He'd never tell Ivy that, of course, knowing how much she liked him. And as far as both of them were aware, he was as straight as a board. He knew it was a desperate crush, but part of him couldn't help but feel exactly that, knowing how much he focused on Ivy: crushed. What did Jason know about Peter? That he put leaf designs into foam?

Jason knew the color of his eyes and his favorite movie and favorite singer. Jason knew his complicated macchiato order by heart and couldn't forget every single innuendo or suggestive comment Peter had ever made, particularly the ones about (whipped) cream. Jason knew so much that he would never say, especially not to a boy that he had no reason to believe was seriously flirting with him (or seriously gay, for that matter). If he learned enough about Ivy, or any girl, really, maybe he would learn how to love one someday.

It wasn't that easy.

Neither was their jobs, working with the general un-caffeinated population, and sports moms who think they can order ten drinks for the PTA and get in and out of the story within ten minutes at nine AM on a Saturday, working with ice in one hand and fire in the other, working with people who maybe hated each other and maybe just wanted a fuck.

So much happens behind that coffee bar, the barrier between unhealthy amounts of caffeine and pretty girls like Ivy Robinson.

Someone better write this down. It could make a good story someday.


	2. White Hot Chocolate and Raspberry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ivy Robinson begins the application process for a new job at her local Starbucks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NaNoWriMo is really out here making sure I write and update fics constantly, isn't it? Anyway, I keep making the narration style funkier. Also please ignore all boys in this fic, they're all fuckboys.

"Do you know her?" Chantelle asked, popping a straw into her own iced tea. "Outside of being a regular?"

"I don't, but Peter does," Jason answered. "They're like best friends. And he wouldn't be friends with anyone too irresponsible."

"Do you think I can snort mocha powder and not die?" Lucas called out.

Jason added, "With exceptions." He considered the idea of Ivy actually working with him; she had put her application in that morning, and he couldn't help but assume that he had something to do with it. It was clear that either Ivy was a naturally flirty person, or that she was deeply attracted to Jason. He wasn't sure which he preferred, even though it wasn't up to him in the slightest.

"Her availability is weekends, so she gets an interview at minimum," she said. It wasn't very hard to score an interview, but those were very hard to get out of alive. Chantelle had a habit of crucifying prospective hires. If they can't handle her at the interview process, they'll never make it through their first ship of screaming customers.

There was a certain lull in the afternoon, but Nadia McConnell didn't have any classes. With a pompous grin, she took a stool and pulled it up to the counter with her MacBook, working feverishly. There was a chance that she wasn't actually working, and just typing loudly to annoy Jason with a Google Doc with a bunch of keysmashes called "Fuck Jason" blinking on her screen.

"Welcome to Starbucks," he asked her as flatly as possible. "what can I get you today?"

"A little bit of enthusiasm," she replied. "You know, you might be pretty if you smiled."

Starbucks was infamous for their "Relatives can't work together" rule, which actually made a lot of sense to have. Imagine if the McConnell twins  _ did _ work together? Nadia would dump a pot of hot coffee on his Air Jordans on her first day. He applied first, a day before she finished her application, so he got the job. Ever jealous, Nadia made it her life's mission to annoy him at work.

"To drink," he rolled his eyes. 

She puckered her lips. "Depends. Is it free?"

"You bet your ass it's not!" Chantelle called from the drive-through window.

Smirking, Lucas entered his numbers onto Jason's cashier screen. This allowed her beverage to count as a something he was drinking during his shift. "Suck my ass, Chantelle," he muttered.

"In that case, make it venti white hot chocolate with raspberry," Nadia ordered. "I'm so glad that Lucas cares about my poor, empty wallet."

"Nadia, I can't enter my own numbers when I'm working on the screen."

"Lucas is the only one who cares about my lonely soul!" she cried out dramatically. "Everyone else hates me!"

"God, why didn't you get Juliet?" Jason scoffed, writing her name wrong on a cup. "You have such a penchant for theatrics."

She glared at him, both twins knowing that was a low blow. "So, Matt told me there's a new hire? Is he cute?"

"She's hot as fuck!" Lucas cheered, raising his hand to high five Jason, who gave him a confused eyebrow raise and empty cup instead. "Whatever, man. You know I'm right."

"She's not even hired yet, just an interview," Jason explained while Lucas worked the drink. "And yes, she's very pretty. She has lovely… eyes."

"Does Starbucks hire ugly people?" Nadia said. "Oh my God, is that why they didn't hire me?"

"You're so full of yourself." Lucas passed her the prepared hot chocolate. "I don't think you're that ugly."

"What a gentleman!" she pretended to swoon, almost falling off her stool. "And they said Prince Charming isn't real."

"For real, Nadia," Lucas said. "I'd tap that ass."

"Gross, dude." Jason stared at him. "That's my sister."

The door jingled, the small bell at the top alerting the baristas that a new person would yell at them due to a misspelled name. Instead, it was Matt, who flew by in a hurry, his jacket waving in the wind behind him. "Peter just texted me. Is Ivy really applying?"

"Don't get your boner in a twist," Nadia sniggered. She knew by now that all the boys in the shop thought she was hot shit; even before today. There were occasions where both girls would be ordering drinks, staring each other down and judging every curve and roll. "It's just an interview."

"Do we have rules against employees dating?" he breathed heavily, still catching his breath. He must have run a marathon to get there. Did he even own a car?

Chantelle returned, passing the headset to Lucas. "Yes, we do. As long as you're both baristas, the nasty shit you get up to in your own time has nothing to do with me."

"Dude, she doesn't even like you!" Jason pointed out to no avail. "Who cares?"

"I care!" he exclaimed. "So now I have to pick between shift manager and Ivy?"

"Who said that you're up for either?" Chantelle laughed. "You're an ambitious man, you know that?"

"Guilty as charged," he smiled toothily. Although she'd never say it, Chantelle didn't think he was the worst person in the world. Lucas, maybe. Matt was a damn good barista, and not shabby at training the new ones either. She'd have to consider heavily if he'd be Ivy's hypothetical trainer or if there was a conflict of interest between the two; the conflict being that Matt had an interest and Ivy didn't.

Nadia sighed, pouting out her lower lip. "She's not even like, that pretty. Like, she has a big nose. And a big ass."

"Guys are into those now, Nadia." Jason prepared his own cup of coffee, just a black drip one. Even when he could have any free drink he wanted, he ended up with the cheapest option. "All about that anaconda, or whatever."

"There are so many things wrong with what you just said," Nadia shook her head. "So many things."

"Still less problematic than half the shit Lucas says," Matt reasoned.

Chantelle agreed, "Ain't that the truth."

_ If I'm problematic, I'm pulling off the straight thing better than I thought, _ Jason cracked a smile to himself. "Regardless, Ivy is really that pretty."

"I'd smash," Lucas called out, although nobody asked him. Probably because they knew what he would say; he was predictable like that. 

Chantelle smacked her lips. "Keep saying shit like that, just keep doing that, and see if you still

have a job at the end of the week. I'd gladly replace you with Robinson."

"I would hope so," her sweet tone rang out.

"Jesus!" Nadia clutched her heart. Ivy had a habit of appearing out of seemingly nowhere, catching everyone around her off guard. It was fun, honestly, especially when Nadia was the one who lost her shit. "Do you have to sneak up on us every time you enter the room?"

Ivy didn't even grin; even her adorable smile was a sexy smirk. Did she try? Did it come naturally? Was Matt drooling? The only solid answer to any of those questions was a single yes, and it was getting on the counter. Without skipping a beat, Lucas wiped it up. "No, but it does make it a lot more fun."

"Oh, if you're looking for fun, Starbucks is not the place to apply," Lucas said under his breath, a hand blocking his lips from the boss' sight when Chantelle turned away to untie her apron. "I recommend Dunkin, or jumping off of a cliff."

"Tempting, but cliffs don't have free Spotify Premium." She riffed off of him, already fitting in with a natural vibe that allowed the banter to flow quickly, as it was supposed to. "Is this skirt long enough for an interview?" She turned, knowing full well that the pencil skirt came down to her knees, but also knowing that all three boys would turn and look at her ass anyway.  
"Paul, Peter, and Simon fucking on a boat, are you serious right now?" Nadia said. "Like, you actually speak like you're an extra in a porno who ends up being the third in a threeway. Are you even a real person?"

"Most of me is," she snarled. 

"Is it just me," Lucas said in a hushed tone to Matt and Jason, "or is the catfight thing really hot?"

"What part of 'sister' do you forget about?" Jason asked.

Chantelle returned, with a clipboard and her list of questions. "Robinson, come with me. Carter, get back to work. Don't let me catch you taking another break at 4:19 again, by the way. You ain't slick."

Lucas swallowed as Ivy followed Chantelle to a table away from the bar, giving Jason a quick wave.

"She's so obvious," Nadia commented once she was out of earshot. "Like, leave something to the imagination."

"You're all disgusting pigs," Matt said. "I wasn't even thinking about her like that."

"Bullshit!" both McConnells called in unison, high fiving. They were right. Matt was probably heading home after this for some alone time. Take the innuendo. Don't make me say it. Thanks.

"So, if she gets the job, what does that mean for you?" Nadia asked her brother once Matt and Lucas were both gone. 

Jason said nothing. "It means I have a new co-worker. Get over it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Request shit!!! Make NaNoWriMo easier on me!!! Give me ideas!!!  
> Tumblr: bareunloveliness


	3. Trenta Strawberry Acai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Ivy get drunk and gossip a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really big on a few Bare head canons:  
> \- Peter is not an 'uwu soft boy' and he's actually a little shit.  
> \- Peter and Ivy are best friends.  
> \- They regularly have sleepovers.

Peter was on his way home from a particularly boring shift, a single massive drink for him and Ivy to share. He often brought home spare things for her; unfortunately, they ran out of chocolate chip cookies, so a few almost-expired cake pops would have to suffice. It was the sort of late night drive that he enjoyed; Troye Sivan playing quietly as the lights shone in the distance of the busy lives of the town. Ivy was only a few songs away, but he took the moments like these at face value. His life felt hectic and never moving at all times, but time froze and stopped while he was on the road.

"I've got the drink," Peter said as he propped the door open with his hip, walking into Ivy's house. She was a commuter student to save money, and almost never locked her door. Peter always told her she was going to get robbed, but she joked that she had nothing to steal and that any thieves would leave behind a TV instead of taking anything. 

"And I've got the white wine," she grinned. "Plus the glasses." They had discovered years prior that the strawberry acai made for a great mixed drink. It was incredibly strong and sweet, but worked wonders on their livers. They poured equal parts of each drink into the glasses, clinking them together in a toast.

"To my new job," she said with a grin. "Can you believe that Chantelle really called me an hour after the interview?"

"She waited two weeks before she called me; I almost got a job at Staples." He wouldn't have accepted it; it was horrible hours and the manager was this terrifying old white man who was either homophobic, racist, or misogynistic. Peter didn't plan on staying around long enough to find out which one. "You're really going to love working there. We're a family."

"Even Matt?"

He laughed. "Unfortunately, even Matt. It's funny, he really thinks he has a chance with you."

"He's sweet," she admitted, sipping her alcoholic Starbucks, "but he puts me on this pedestal. I'm untouchable to him; like a supermodel. And I'm not looking for that in a relationship. I want an equal."

"You want Jason!" Peter teased, his own cheeks flaming red. He could blame getting a little wine drunk on the new coloring of his skin, right? "But you know that if you guys start dating, he can't get the shift manager promotion."

"And he really wants that?"

"I don't know, honestly." He shrugged. "I think we all just expect him to get it. He's definitely the most qualified. I don't want Matt in charge. I love the guy, he's lots of fun sometimes, but power goes to his head. Really fast. He'll be a total dick if he gets it."

"I can't imagine that he would be that bad," Ivy said. "He's a little uptight, sure, but I can't imagine he would make your life so miserable."

"Ivy, I would quit if he got this promotion. Not even kidding."

"Who else is up for it?"

"Lucas, technically, but there's no chance of that. I think I'm eligible, but I'm not the leader-type. I think people would listen to me as much as they listen to an eight year old with a bullhorn."

"Personally, I would listen to anyone with a bullhorn," she laughed, resting her head on Peter's shoulder. He had come out to her years ago, but that never stopped their friendship for a second. Once, in eighth grade during a game of Spin the Bottle, they had kissed and Ivy thought she was in love with him for about a week. After graduation, Ivy got into Shea's Arcadian and Peter got into Berkeley. The difference was Shea's was local and Berkley was hundreds of miles away and he simply couldn't afford an out-of-state school and they didn't offer him enough in aid. Peter and his mom agreed he'd work for a gap year and apply to other schools after. 

He didn't miss high school, especially not the people who attended, but he wished he had more meaningful connections. All he really had in his life was his job and Ivy, and now those were one and the same. There was a part of him that was terrified of working with his best friend; what if it came between them?

What if she figured out the way that he looked at Jason?

It was hard enough to tell her that he was gay, but he could never tell her that he liked the boy she was smitten with. He prayed the stupid puppy-love crush would go away, but it never budged from his heart. 

He snorted, fingers twisting into her hair. "I don't even want it. It's gonna be Jason. Which, you know, sucks for you."

"Please, he's not even into me." She sniffed, trying to wrap her head around the concept. Nadia would laugh, but a boy genuinely had never not been interested in her. Except for Peter. "Oh my God, what if he's gay?"

Peter swallowed, clearing his throat. "What makes you think that?"

"Think about it," she sat up. "You're the only man in the world who doesn't want to screw me. Why is that?"

"Because I'm gay. So you think Jason not being over eager to jump into anything when you haven't asked him out or specifically singled out an interest in him and only treat him with the same flirty energy that you do with literally everyone means he's a big homo?" He just couldn't get his hopes up. There were tons of reasons why he didn't immediately react to Ivy's affections. And yes, one of them could be homosexuality, but that's only one. 

Even,  _ even if Jason was gay,  _ there was little to no chance that he would be interested in Peter. Bisexuality was even a possibility, but even a male-leaning-bisexual would pick Ivy over Peter. He was tall, lanky, with a fluff of blonde hair that sat unmanageably on his head. His forehead was a little bigger than he would have liked, and a pointy hook nose never made him feel attractive. 

Ivy was everything. Unbelievable curves and a small pocket of a stomach that worked were only the start of her beauty. Long dark hair that fell onto her shoulders and almost pointed towards her chest always shimmered in the moonlight like you'd see in movies. Even without perfectly primed makeup, she had impossibly clear skin and almond eyes. Sure, Peter didn't want to look exactly like her, but he wanted the same standard of beauty, the same reactions when he walked into a room, and a shred of a chance at Jason's attention. 

"I would know if he was gay," Peter insisted, considering gay-dar and all of that. It was bullshit, of course; gay-dar was another way of saying "I can recognize obvious stereotypes and flagging." But Ivy didn't know that; besides, Jason didn't fit the stereotypes. Was he supposed to? Was he trying not to? Honest to God, those were the questions that kept Peter up at night. "Trust me, he's not."

"So you're saying that if I asked him out, he would say yes?"

"I can't imagine him saying no."

It was easy for Peter to imagine Jason denying him however; maybe not even in a big "I'm not gay, dude! How dare you?" scene, but even with an awkward, "Sorry, this is really awkward… but I'm not gay.". Of course, there was the tragic third option of Jason  _ actually being gay  _ and not being attracted to Peter in the slightest.

Although, then he wouldn't go after Peter or Ivy and their friendship would be saved.

He wanted to talk about something else, anything else, especially before he got too wine-drunk like a suburban mom who dreams of cheating on her husband with John Stamos. "Anything good on TV?" he asked, happening to be as obvious as possible that he wanted to change the subject.

"That was a jump," Ivy laughed, noticing it. "Oh my God, you can imagine him saying no. Did you just lie to me, Peter Samuel Simmons?" She wasn't offended in the slightest, just simply surprised that such an innocent Christian boy would lie to her. It was a persona that they both knew wasn't truly him, but constantly joked about. Maybe the jokes pushed him to be otherwise.

"No, I can promise you that," he said truthfully, talking a long sip of his conconation. He tried to never explicitly lie to her; it's not like she ever  _ asked _ if he had a crush on Jason. Occasionally, yeah, he would say a tiny white lie, but nothing that could hurt her. In fact they only did the opposite.

"You're definitely hiding something," she said, sniffing. "I know you. And you can tell me now or I'll get you wasted and you can tell me then."

"Oh, that sounds like a much more fun option."

"You're opening tomorrow. Really want to go in with a hangover?"

"Really don't want to tell you what I'm hiding, yeah." So that was it. A confession that there was, in fact, something being actively hidden. She scoffed, trying to piece it all together. With a gasp of inspiration, she left their spot on the couch and digged through her kitchen for a bottle of vodka, which she poured into his drink and scooped a few strawberries in for extra measure.

"In that case," Ivy said with a mischievous grin. "Drink up."

"You're the worst," he rolled his eyes, not opposed as he took a long sip, the burning sensation of the vodka mostly covered. The strawberries helped. "Honestly, can't a guy have his secrets?"

"Not from me." She snuggled back up to him. "And certainly not you. So what is it? Are you straight?"

As the alcohol slowly heated him up, he cracked a half smile. "You got me," he joked. "I'm madly in love with you. And your tits! Damn." She cackled, only taking sexualization from the last man on Earth that wanted to sleep with her. "If I had to go straight though, you'd be my first choice."

"If I had to sleep with a gay guy, you'd be mine."

Oh, irony, is that you?

"Do you not want me to work at Starbucks?" Ivy asked, taking a more serious not as she felt his cheeks heat up from the drink. "I'll pull out my application and quit or whatever if you don't want to work with me. I'd rather give up a shitty barista job than our friendship, you know?"

"No, of course not, Ives," he assured her, words threatening to slur together. "I wouldn't have told you to apply if that was the case."

"Then what is it? You're never one to hide things from me. I think. You're usually so bad at hiding things; you even told me about my surprise party. Unless you told me on purpose so I would think you're bad at hiding things and never suspect you're hiding more things!"

"I know all those words separately, but together, I'm lost," he said. "I love you, and I am sincerly bad at hiding things. It's just this one thing. You're going to hate me."

"I could never, I swear. You could tell me that you've murdered someone and I'll just ask if you've covered your tracks enough. I'd rather you stay out of jail. I'd miss you too much."

"This is serious."

"Is murder not serious?"

He laughed heartily for a moment, before his face fell and he took a final drink, slurping the wine that slipped under the ice and placing his empty cup on the coffee table before wrapping an arm around Ivy, who cozied against it. "You know Jason?"

"Yeah, of course." She wrinkled his nose. "Do you know something? Is he secretly a bad guy?"

"No, I am," he confessed. "I've had the biggest crush on him for as long as we've worked together. And I never told you. Surprise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I take requests and feedback! Comment below or shoot me an ask on Tumblr @bareunloveliness.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for making it to the end so far! I try to update when possible. You can reach me on Tumblr @bareunloveliness.  
> If you like slowburns like this, Spring Awakening, and femslash, I recommend "Loving You Isn't the Right Thing to Do" on my page.  
> 


End file.
